Identity Thief Tried to Hellcat His Way to Freedom

WICHITA, KAN. – A brazen attempt to swindle a Wichita car dealership out of a $52,725 Dodge Challenger Hellcat ended with a guilty plea Monday for Arizona resident Thomas Rye, 36, of Phoenix. Rye confessed to federal prosecutors that he used a stolen identity in a calculated scheme to secure financing for the high-performance vehicle.

According to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall, Rye pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. The scheme unfolded on January 2, 2016, when Rye contacted Eddy’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, posing as someone else and applying for a pre-approved line of credit. The stolen identity was run through a credit check, and Rye attempted to leverage the victim’s financial history to purchase the coveted muscle car.

But the con wasn’t clean. Discrepancies in the credit application flagged the dealership’s employees, who grew suspicious and immediately contacted the Wichita Police Department. Officers arrived on the scene and arrested Rye before he could drive off in the stolen-identity-funded ride. The Hellcat remained firmly in the dealership’s possession.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. Rye is one of 13 individuals indicted in May as part of a larger criminal organization that allegedly targeted financial institutions and individuals for a total of $3.5 million in fraudulent credit and cash. The indictment details a systematic operation involving mail theft, fraudulent credit applications, and widespread identity theft.

Investigators revealed the group divided labor, with members specializing in stealing mail from residential mailboxes, fraudulently applying for credit lines under false pretenses, and utilizing stolen identities for purchases. The operation was a calculated, multi-faceted attack on the financial system.

Rye now faces a sentencing hearing on March 6, where he could receive up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Beall commended the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, the Wichita Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan Metzger and Debra Barnett for bringing this case to a close. This case serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive threat of identity theft and the lengths criminals will go to exploit vulnerable systems.